I hide with you in the fragrant hay, And I whoop the smothered call; 4 I am willing to die when my time shall come, And I shall be glad to go; For the world, at best, is a weary place, But the grave is dark, and the heart will fail, And it wiles my heart from its dreariness sub-stance reg-u-lar-ly man-u-fac-to-ries thread yards yel-low quan-ti-ty laid FAULTS OF PRONUNCIATION. - Li-bry, for li-bra-ry; gownds, for gowns; sick-nuss, for sick-ness. THE SILKWORM. MR. ELWOOD was one morning engaged in the library with Frederick, when Emma came in, and said, as she laid a small yellow ball on the table, "Do, papa, tell me what this is, if you please." 16 My love," he replied, "it is a very curious thing; it is the work, and for some time the abode, of a silkworm; and it is called a cocoon." "But what," inquired Emma, "is there inside?" "The outer part," said her father, "is formed of a rough, silk-like substance, called floss; inside this is a thread more distinct and even; and then in the middle comes ne apartment of the chrysalis, a kind of worm. This is formed of a substance of the hardness of paper, but much stronger. The silk, which composes the cocoon, is not rolled regularly round, but lies very unevenly upon the shell, and winds off first from one side, and then from the other; and so we get silk for ladies' gowns, and bonnets, and various purposes." Frederick laid down his book; the eyes of the children were attentively fixed on the little wonder, and after they had turned it over again and again, the following conversation took place : E. How much silk is there in a cocoon, papa? Mr. E. The quantity is variously stated; but I believe it seldom exceeds ix hundred and twenty-five yards. This is indeed a great quantity for an insect to spin in so short a life. F. Who first used the work of this little creature? positively; Mr. E. It is difficult to say but it is claimed by the Chinese. It is stated in their records, that they used the work of the silkworm more than four thousand years ago. E. But, papa, how did we get it first? Mr. E. A long time passed before it was known in England, and then it was' very slowly introduced. But it has been extended over many parts of Europe; and even in America the people are beginning to manufacture silk. Many millions of yards of silk cloth are made every year. F. What a number of silkworms, then, there must be ! Mr. E. Yes; to supply the silk manufactories of England alone, fourteen thousand millions of animated creatures yearly live, labor, and die! Still greater must be the number in China, where all, from the emperor to the peasant, wear silk. E. Dear papa, tell us how it is made. I am sure I want to know all about it; and Frederick is looking so slyly, as if he meant to say so too. Mr. E. Silkworms are hatched from eggs, laid during summer, by a kind of grayish moth. They are each about as large as a grain of mustard seed, at first of a yellow color, but afterwards of a bluish hue. From each of these comes a small black caterpillar. In about eight days its head grows larger, and it is seized with its first sickness, when its size increases; and in the course of a month, its weight is multiplied many thousand fold. It then throws off its whole covering, not only that of the body, but of the feet, of the entire skull, and even of the jaws; which process may be seen by the unassisted eye, but, of course, more clearly through a magnifying glass. E. Weli! that is strange! Does it change any more? Mr. E. Yes! It is again attacked by sickness, after which it changes its skin once more; and, when this has been repeated for the fourth time, it goes still through various curious changes, till the cocoon is formed. When this is opened, the insect within appears something like a kidney-bean in shape, though pointed at one end; having a smooth brown skin, with its former covering lying by its side. E. How long does it sleep, papa? Mr. E. From fifteen to thirty days, according to the climate. It then throws off its shroud, and appears as a large moth, of a grayish-white color, with four wings, two eyes, and two black horns; it seeks its mate, who deposits her eggs; and both, in two or three days after, end their existence. These are very wonderful things, but there are many more wonders in the life and history of the silkworm. QUESTIONS. What is a cocoon? What of the different parts of the cocoon? How much silk is there in a cocoon? Who first began to make fabrics of silk? How many silkworms must labor and die every year to supply the silk manufactories of England? Will you give the history of a silkworm from its birth to its death? Here EXERCISES Nos. 36, 37, pages 217, 218. LESSON LXXIX. time ev-er no-ticed cu-ri-ous kept old-er sci-ence ob-ser-va-tion won-der-ful grav-i-ta-tion ex-per-i-ments laws wis-est think-ing at-trac-tive years heav-ens wind-mill un-der-stand math-e-mat-ics THE YOUNG PHILOSOPHER 1. ONE of the most wonderful men that ever lived was Sir Isaac Newton. He was born in England, about two hundred years ago. 2. Before his time, even the wisest man did not understand how the sun, moon, and stars move about in the heavens, and by what means they are kept in their places. 3. But Newton told us all these things, for he studied very deeply into the laws of nature. He began, even when a boy, to try experiments, and thus showed a turn for observation. 4. He contrived an hour-glass, which was made to act by a stream of water. He made a small windmill, and put a mouse in it, and I called it the miller. 5. These things he did when he was quite young. When he grew older, he showed a great turn for the science of mathematics. |